TUESDAY is World Vegan Day, so put aside your steak knife and head for the veggie patch.

You know vegetables have become hip when the claymation duo Wallace and Gromit get passionate about pumpkins and zucchini.

There are many different types of vegetarians - vegans, in addition to avoiding meat and fish, abstain from animal products like eggs and dairy products, as well as products tested on animals or made from animals, like leather or beeswax.

Many turn vegan because they object to the killing of animals.

Web editor Zeph Shen, 31, said: 'I turned vegetarian overnight 11 years ago, when I realised the impact my diet had on the welfare of animals, my health and the environment.

'Meat is just an illogical choice. I did not want to play any minute part in the suffering of animals.'

Mrs Helga Koh, 53, turned vegan only at the age of 50, after 'finally having the courage to listen to my inner voice'.

She added: 'There is so much suffering in this world, why add to it? There is absolutely no need for us to imprison, torture and slaughter our fellow animals.'

And being vegan in Singapore is easier than you think.

Communications engineer Sendhuran, 24, said: 'Its even easier (here) than in traditionally vegetarian-friendly places like India because you have many Chinese vegetarian stalls and they don't use dairy.'

Ms Spanopoulos explained: 'These processes are triggered as soon as the digestive system is given a chance to clean out, so the toxins that reside in the digestive tract are removed and eliminated through the lungs, skin and bowel.

'Once this occurs, the individual experiences a greater sense of well-being, usually an increase in energy and vitality, and less need or desire for meat and processed foods.'

PUMPKIN SOUP

HERE'S a delicious vegetarian dish you can try whipping up.

Just boil pumpkins (you can add other vegetables too, like sweet potato, carrot or celery).

WORLD Vegan Day is held on 1 Nov every year. It was started by The Vegan Society of the UK in 1994 to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

Since then, in the UK and around the world, events of all types and sizes have been held on this day to celebrate everything that is positive about a vegan lifestyle.

The word vegan is made up of the first two and last two letters of the word vegetarian and was coined in the UK in 1944, when the Vegan Society was founded.

The Vegan Society seeks to abolish man's dependence on animals, with its inevitable cruelty and slaughter.

Vegans do not eat the bodies of animals. They do not eat milk, eggs or honey either. Most vegans do not wear leather, wool or silk. A vegan eats a plant-based diet.

People usually become vegetarian either in an attempt to avoid causing the suffering and death of animals or to protect their health from the hazards of animal-borne infections, saturated fat and cholesterol.

As their understanding of the concept deepens, becoming vegan is the obvious next step.